Multi-awarded poet and screenwriter Jerry Gracio has said that the movie industry needs proper pandemic response, not events like the film industry month.
Gracio made the comment after Film Development Council of Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño that the month of September has been proclaimed Film Industry Month based on a presidential proclamation signed by President Duterte.
"Ate, walang trabaho mga kasama natin sa industriya, andaming mga taga-pelikula ang namamatay sa sakit at gutom. Hindi namin kailangan ang Film Industry Month. Kailangan namin ng maayos na pandemic response at ayuda," said Gracio on Twitter.
The FDCP has lined up events and programs for the inaugural celebration with the theme "Ngayon ang Bagong SineMula!"
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration of the Philippine Film Industry Month 2021 will be done online on the social media pages of FDCP for the Opening and Closing events. Screenings will be hosted exclusively on the FDCP Channel virtual platform.
The Opening of Philippine Film Industry Month on Sept. 1, to be streamed on FDCP’s Facebook pages and YouTube channel, will feature the launch of the Nood Tayo ng Sine Campaign plus important announcements from the International Film Industry Conference (IFIC), First Cut Lab Philippines (FCL PH), FDCP FilmPhilippines Incentives Program, and Mit Out Sound: International Silent Film Lab, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The Closing of Philippine Film Industry Month on Sept. 30 will feature the Awarding of Sine Kabataan and Sine Isla winners, launch of the revamped FDCP website, and special announcements from the FDCP Channel and CreatePHFilms.
“Ngayon ang Bagong SineMula! This is the declaration of hopeful survival of the first-ever Philippine Film Industry Month amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It speaks of a new beginning, a chance to restart and rebuild a system that would be more inclusive and sustainable for all stakeholders, allowing Philippine Cinema to push forth with its heritage and legacy towards a brighter and more prosperous future for the industry,” Diño added.